The Boy with One Name

by J. R. Wallis

  Dear Ruby, thanks for everything Love Ed

  But, after reading it again, he crossed out his name and wrote Jones instead. It seemed right to sign it that way because that’s who he’d been when he’d met Ruby and that’s who he was whenever he remembered everything they’d done together. There was something about his old name he missed. Ruby had told him it was because it was a part of him and always would be. He’d denied it, telling her he was someone new now. But deep down he knew she was right. And sometimes, in the quiet of the night, when he lay in bed, with the dark screen of the television his parents had bought him staring at him, he thought long and hard about what that really meant.

  GLOSSARY

  of

  BADLANDER TERMS

  Æteland (ANGLO-SAXON) Translates as ‘territory’ or ‘landed property’. The term refers to a territory managed by a Badlander in a city, primarily London, which is split into a number of different patches. Only a Badlander who manages his æhteland is allowed to hunt on it and he is responsible for the safety of all ordinary people who live within its boundaries.

  Andweardnes áflíeheþ (ANGLO-SAXON) Translates as ‘time flies’ with Andweardnes meaning ‘presence’, ‘presentness’ or ‘time’ and áflíeheþ being the third person singular of the verb áfléogan, meaning ‘to fly’, ‘flee away from’, ‘escape’. It is one of the ‘Ten Easy Spells To Get Started’ offered in The Black Book of Magical Instruction to newly commenced Badlanders. Anyone casting the spell needs to declare what time differential is to be used otherwise results will be random.

  Apprentice A young male Badlander trained and assessed over a period of time to see whether they are fit for Commencement. Apprentices are taken on by senior Badlanders who then become their Masters. Each Master only takes one apprentice at a time and only a small number eventually go on to be Commenced, usually at around the age of 12-13 years of age. The majority of those who do not Commence die in the Badlands during training. Those who survive but are not considered suitable for Commencement are returned to normal society with their minds and memories wiped by magic to be looked after by ordinary people. It is generally accepted that many of those returned to normal life suffer from mental disorders and depression as they grow up. The other option open to failed apprentices is to become a Whelp (see separate entry).

  Badlanders find their apprentices in a number of ways, but by far the most common method is through the use of a secretive network that removes very young children from public care who have been placed there after being orphaned or abandoned. However, some apprentices are stolen straight from their families although this is a much rarer practice than it used to be.

  The Badlands The Badlands describes any location where creatures might be lurking. It normally refers to places on the edge of normal people’s lives. However, it is a name that encompasses a wide variety of areas, from a distant valley to a park in the heart of a city, or even to a house in the suburbs. Wherever a creature is found then that location is considered to be a part of the Badlands.

  Badlander The given name for members of the Badlander Order, a secret society of monster hunters. The Order evolved in Great Britain during the 5th century after the arrival of Anglo-Saxons from continental Europe who brought with them their own secrets and methods of fighting monsters. Ancient Britons adopted these techniques as they gradually embraced the culture and language of Anglo-Saxons. The teachings and organised living of early monks also helped to create early Badlander practice. Initially, Badlanders were trained in the earliest monasteries until the Order began to emerge with its own established set of rules in approximately the second half of the 7th century. The influence of monasteries may explain why the Badlander Order is exclusively male.

  The Badlander Bestiary - The Pocket Book Version A small, portable reference guide to all the various monsters found in the Badlands. The pages are blank until the user demands to know information about a specific creature at which point all the relevant information will be revealed. Because of this function it is usually used as a field guide on hunts and particularly valuable for apprentices who are learning about creatures.

  ‘Be Prepared’ An old motto used by Badlanders to ensure that they are always ready for whatever they may encounter in the Badlands. This phrase has been adopted into the larger society of ordinary people too (for example, the Scout Movement).

  The Black Book of Magical Instruction Presented to every apprentice during the act of Commencement, The Black Book of Magical Instruction, can only be read by those who have Commenced and been given the gift of magic. This ensures the secrets of spell-casting are reserved only for those deemed special enough to Commence. The book is vital as a teaching aid for young Badlanders, allowing them to learn how to use magic. It is interactive, leading apprentices through various lessons and answering their questions.

  Charms Charms are often used by Badlanders to adapt or customise an object to make it more useful. Using magic is the only way to create a charm.

  Charles Du Clement (1770 – PRESENT) Born in Bordeaux, France in 1770, Charles Du Clement grew up as a member of the Badlander Order in France, although he was itinerant and travelled widely, researching a vast array of creatures across Europe. Eventually, he settled in England in 1820, preferring the English way of life to that of continental Europe. After being bitten and infected by a Lich, captured from a Bronze Age round barrow (burial site) in Dorset, Du Clement was imprisoned in the crypt of the chapel of St Crosse College, Oxford (see separate entry on the St Crosse for more information) for the benefit of Badlander scholarship because of his vast and detailed knowledge of creatures and monstrous beings. Despite being an important asset, Du Clement’s imprisonment is kept a secret by high-ranking members of the Order because of his transformation into a Lich, a creature Badlanders are sworn to destroy.

  As well as advising on creatures, Du Clement has the final say on whether the thesis of the Badlander research fellow at St Crosse passes or fails.

  Cæg (ANGLO-SAXON) Translates as ‘key’.

  Commencement The act of advancement of an apprentice Badlander by which he is given the gift of magic. Commencement is entirely at the discretion of the apprentice’s Master who will formalise the Commencement by handing over a silver key. This key is worn around a Master’s neck for the duration of the apprenticeship and unlocks an oak chest that has the properties to set an apprentice’s Commencement in motion.

  The term Commencement was agreed upon by the Order in the early 17th century prior to which various terms had been used to describe the process and its different elements.

  Dark Magic - áglæccræft (ANGLO-SAXON) A relatively unknown form of magic, understood only by those who change and become warped enough to use it. It is considered a low form of magic by Badlanders because of the need to drink blood to cast spells. Many Badlanders are aware that the magic inside them can change, becoming rotten, of its own accord and try to tempt a person to use Dark Magic, thereby corrupting them. Therefore, many Badlanders practise forms of mediation to protect against this and avoid any temptation that magic presents to them.

  Déaþspere (ANGLO-SAXON) A very basic spell that translates as ‘deadly spear’. It allows the person casting the spell to hurl out a magical spear from their hands.

  Deorcan Flascan (ANGLO-SAXON) Translates as ‘dark bottle’. A Dark Bottle is a very private object that can be created by only the most powerful Witches, making them almost invincible. The actual process of making such a bottle is mired in secrecy because it requires the use of powerful Wiccacraeft. What is known about the bottles is that each one is the repository of all a Witch’s fears. Having been placed in the bottle these fears are locked inside by a dagger lodged in the neck of the bottle. This dagger is then the only means by which the Witch can be killed and it must be driven through her heart.

  For safekeeping, Dark Bottles are always buried with a powerful monster to protect it making it very difficult to steal – specifically the Dark Bottles of Engli
sh Witches are buried ill together in one graveyard in the county of Herefordshire for greater security. Once a Witch has renounced her fears and buried the Dark Bottle she has no connection to it and must trust in the monster to guard it, as well as the Wiccacraeft designed to protect the bottle.

  Deschamps & Sons Deschamps & Sons is a large department store in London that sells everything a Badlander might need. It prides itself on providing the highest quality products, catering for a range of tastes. Deschamps began life as a small shop in the late 16th century, founded by Monsieur Deschamps, who had recently arrived from Paris. Over the years it has grown into a much larger business with several stores across the globe. Precise locations of the shops are known only by Badlanders who are all given an information brochure about the store after they have Commenced. Most of the London store is concealed underground with the entrance at street level, to what seems, at least to the ordinary person, a small tobacconists called Deschamps & Sons.

  Door Wurm A very useful creature employed to open locked doors, however big or small. Wurms are very easy to use and once inserted into any lock, they will change into the required key. Door Wurms were originally just ordinary garden earthworms charmed by Badlanders but over time they have been bred specifically for their current purpose.

  Fæcce (PRONOUNCED ‘FETCH’) (ANGLO-SAXON) Derived from the Anglo-Saxon word fæccan meaning ‘to fetch’.

  A fæcce is very similar to a doppelganger, namely, the magical ‘double’ of a person. On the rare occasions a Badlander steals a child from a family to be his apprentice he will create a fæcce to replace it. Usually, the fæcce will not live long after its creation, but in some instances, they have been recorded as living up to three or four years. However, they do become progressively more sickly and unwell over the time they are alive.

  Flying Rowan Staff A flying rowan is a rowan tree that is not rooted directly in the earth. For example, it might be found growing on a cliff or on a large boulder or even in the boughs of another larger tree. The lack of direct contact with the earth increases the magical powers associated with the rowan tree. Badlanders are well aware of the magical properties of the tree and a staff made from a flying rowan is a very powerful weapon against creatures in hand-to-hand combat.

  Forhwierfende (ANGLO-SAXON) Translates literally as ‘changing’. Forhwierfende is the present participle of the verb Forhwierfan, meaning to change, transform or pervert. It is usually used by Badlanders to refer to the changing undergone by any shapeshifter.

  Gebíed mé glæm (ANGLO-SAXON) A spell, which translates literally as ‘Give me a bright light’.

  Gebíed is the imperative form of the verb Gebéodan, which means ‘to command’, ‘order’ or ‘give’, and Glæm is a noun meaning ‘brilliant light’ or ‘splendour’.

  Ghosting A Ghosting (called a betreppende in Anglo-Saxon which translates as ‘catching’) is a ritual undertaken by a Badlander to capture a Gást. There are a variety of different ways to perform this rite although light is usually at the heart of any Ghosting. This is because light holds a great fascination for a Gást and can lure the creature from its own plane of existence, forcing it to reveal itself. The various symbols used to trap a Gást in a bottle, jar or whatever container is used are thought to derive from the ancient practice of imprisoning genies in bottles, a custom which originated in the Middle Eastern world.

  Hazel Stick A Y-shaped hazel stick can be used to divine the location of a Scucca’s lair. In the same way that a person might dowse for water. The hazel stick must be charmed first for this to work. It fairly easy to use the stick as long as the person using it keeps their mind clear and free from other thoughts.

  Heaton’s Old Familiar Scrying Polish This polish is highly recommended for scryers to use, particularly beginners. Adolphus Heaton invented the polish in the early 17th century and it is still used today in exactly the same form, although its exact constituents are a well-kept secret. Prior to his death, Heaton set up a charitable trust that ensured the proceeds of sales of the polish would be invested in a fund to explore and promote the ongoing use of scrying within the Badlander community.

  Imitator An imitator is an empty tube with a removable cap that is used to copy passages of text from a book. After a passage of text has been sucked up into the tube it can be revealed by removing the cap, then squeezing the tube, and squirting out the copied text into the air enabling it to be read easily. The earliest imitator was invented by Nicholas Gardiner in the early 20th century and is now widely used, especially by apprentices as a way of learning passages of text by rote.

  In and Out A passageway compressed down into a manageable, easily portable form and is usually disguised as a stick to make it less likely to be stolen. The passageway, when released by the user, will create a magical portal to wherever the Badlander wants to go, the one main restriction being that it must be to a place that the user has visited before.

  The In and Out provides a useful means of surprise because whilst the opening can be viewed by the user the exit is invisible. The limitation of an In and Out is that it only works one way.

  Juicing ‘Juicing’ is a slang term for eliminating the bodies of dead monsters. It involves the use of a magical brown dust (its mixture of elements a closely guarded secret), which is sprinkled over a corpse, reducing it to a foamy white substance. Removing evidence of monsters is an essential part of any Badlander’s kill.

  Badlanders who have been killed in action are also disposed of in the same way but they are honoured with the Wyrd rhyme which is recited as the body melts away.

  Learning Book A notebook commonly kept by apprentice Badlanders. It is a simple way of way keeping notes about the things they learn that are useful and important to know.

  Louis Greizmann (1763–1845) Louis Greizmann was a renowned academic who much preferred studying and researching creatures than hunting them in the Badlands. He was born in France, in Paris, and spent his whole life there, cataloguing all the various creatures he encountered. He would often ask for accounts of hunts by Badlanders to be written up and sent to him in order to build up as complete a picture as possible about monsters.

  Greizmann was well known as a drinker and playboy on account of the money he inherited from his Master, Pierre Choux-Champ. However, his thirst for the high life led to the single most important discovery of his career when, after a heavy night of partying (rumoured to be with Charles Du Clement), he decided to creep into a graveyard to sleep off the booze (a highly dangerous act) and ended up doodling on the gravestones in a drunken state. Whilst randomly doodling symbols for various magical acts he was studying at the time, Greizmann was surprised when one character made the gravestone on which it was written speak to him, informing him what was buried in the ground below. Despite being an accidental discovery it went on to become an extremely valuable tool for Badlanders and secured Greizmann’s legacy in Badlander history forever.

  Magic The most important tool in the Badlander’s armoury for tackling monsters, magic is fundamental to surviving the Badlands. It is also vitally important because it allows for the creation of charms that make everyday life easier for Badlanders given the lifestyle restrictions placed on them by the Ordnung, allowing them to co-exist in the modern world alongside ordinary people. The gift of magic is granted at Commencement and becomes ‘fused’ with the apprentice receiving it.

  Magic is a natural element that Badlanders have managed to control through ancient means, drawing it from the heart of the land and forcing it to work for them. Therefore, magic is always looking for a way to release itself from being controlled by the Badlander Order. This means magic can be fickle and unpredictable, attempting to lead Badlanders astray if they are not disciplined in how they use it. As a result, Badlanders are taught to treat magic with great respect at all times.

  Memory Bush This plant is usually grown by someone in order to relive particular memories they may have forgotten or that might have become clouded through time, and even for a B
adlander who may have been cursed by another to forget things. However, a memory bush is very difficult to grow. It requires a lot of love and attention to flourish and bear fruit, small purple berries, each of which recalls a memory when eaten.

  An individual can only grow a memory bush after they remove their personal seed for it from their own body, which requires making a small incision in the belly button. A seed must be planted in a cool, quiet place and requires regular watering as well as a weekly feed of a few drops of blood by the person whose body has produced it. Only the Badlander who has planted the seed, taken from their body, may see the memories produced by the fruit that the plant grows. The berries are pungent and sharp tasting and eating one will reveal whatever memory the grower of the bush asks to see. The memory can be watched repeatedly over the course of a few minutes – up to an hour in some cases – until the effects start wearing off.

  A memory bush is very protective of its berries and can defend itself by excreting a strong acid that is highly corrosive.

  Mearcunga (ANGLO-SAXON) Translates as ‘markings’, ‘brandings’ or ‘characteristics’. Mearcunga is the plural word Mearcung.

  The formal name given to the mark that a Badlander will make after killing and disposing of a creature to make it clear to other Badlanders what has happened in a particular location. It is also a way for Badlanders to show others how successful they have been in the Badlands, and promote their legacy.

  Memory Leech Memory leeches are used to remove the memories of people, when required, by literally sucking them out of the brain. To do this they must be inserted into the head of the subject, usually through the ear canal. They are very clean and efficient removers of memories. Leeches work according to the amount of time they are instructed to remove from a person’s memory so they are most commonly used to remove only very recent memories. Various rare sub species of leeches can work to remove older memories if they are given precise instructions about the date and time of the exact memories to be eliminated. After deleting memories, leeches will excrete a hallucinogenic substance that causes a false memory to be created, accounting for the missing time in a person’s memory.